I recently purchased a barrel saddle with a mix of regular and rough leather. My husband bought me a new bridle and breast collar for Christmas. Both are rough out leather. I'm really concerned about these as they stand the most chance of getting ruined by sweat or even water from like rain or something.
What is the over all opinion of rough out leather items vs standard leather? Both items have tooling so using a wire brush for cleaning is out of question.Posted via Mobile Device

I have tack with smooth leather, rough out, and suede. On the rough out and suede gear, I soap and oil the underside. If the rough out portion gets caked mud on it, I use a brush to loosen and remove it. If it gets stained, it stays stained. If the rough out or suede gear gets slick from use and I want the nap back, I use a sand paper with fine or very fine grit.

Do you like the rough out better than standard? How does it hold up in comparison? Someone told me it gets ruined if it gets wet. Which I don't stop riding for rain unless it's an outright storm. Also side through creeks but my horse still jumps them resulting in water splashes. My dear husband does not know the inn/out of tack much. I would not have purchased the set as I'm unaccustomed to using it. But that does not make it bad. Just not something I have experience using. The saddle I wasn't worried about. There's not a ton of rough out on it, what bit there is isn't tooled and I knew it could be sanded.

I prefer suede for my polo saddles. Whether I like rough out or smooth for western depends solely on how it fits me.

All of my gear gets wet. Rain, crossing rivers, snow. I've not had one get ruined.

One of my daughters, who ranches, got a rough out, got another, got another (as the kids grew into them :) ). She really prefers them. The kids live in them in the summer months and do not care for them like this old track rider does. lol The saddles are holding up fine.

My husband had a hand-me-down rough out with fenders worn thin and smooth from years of use. I did take a wire brush to it lightly rough the leather up. This thing must have been more than 40 years old. A lot of it came back, but understandably, not all.

Me? I prefer roughout. But I dont do "pretty". It is easy to clean, it takes some extra work.Care and Cleaning Cleaning Process for Stripdown Saddles
a good link for cleaning saddles of all kinds, Roughout is about halfway down.

I personaly do not like Rough out leather because of the extra care and i also just dont like the look of it. However good quality leather be it rough out or not should hold up well. Rough out can stain but usualy one just deals with it but if its gets rained on pretty well wet then the "stain" is uniformed and wont matter that much. Rain drops can leave water spots, unfortunatly there is not a whole lot once can do with this problem but there are suede cleaner out there on the market than can lighten them up. Rough out is is basicaly flesh side of leather OR leather that has had the grain side removed (suede is spliced from regular leather and is often thinner, softer and more pliable). Suede is more easily stained than rough out. (esp. suede made from garment leather like jackets and etc.) Many ppl like rough out because it can provide a more secure seat just like those who like suede seats (which I do because it is a more secure feeling than slick seats). You cant "waterproof" rough out but you can use a silicone spray designed for leather products to make it water resistant. (there is a difference between waterproof and water resistant)

I will condition from underneath and if I need to raise the nap I will use sand paper or stiff nylon utility brush or fine wire brush.

"The question is not, can they reason? nor, can they talk? but, can they suffer?" Jeremy Bentham

My roughout saddle had most of the 'rough' worn off before I bought it. I think it looks fine that way, and it is a little less slick that smooth leather. It is Arizona, though, so I don't ride in rain...

"Make the right thing easy and the wrong thing...well, ignore it mostly."

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